By Ewan Roberts

The Three Lions boss slammed the state of the playing surface in Warsaw but insisted his side could well reflect on the result differently when qualifying is over

England manager Roy Hodgson has slammed the playing surface in Warsaw after his side clung onto a point in its World Cup qualifying Group H clash with Poland.

Wayne Rooney put the visitors ahead early on, nodding in from a corner, but the Three Lions could not hold out and conceded in similar fashion to Kamil Glik to draw a game which had been postponed by 24 hours due to heavy rainfall.

And, after the match, Hodgson chose to blame the pitch, which had been submerged just 24 hours earlier, for his side's stuttering performance.

“I don't think it's one of our better performances if I'm to be honest, I'm very disappointed but I think there's lots of factors that need to be taken into consideration,” he told ITV after the match. “The pitch was quite difficult, it was a soggy pitch, the ball wasn't moving that well, it was really a pitch more suited to a long-ball game than a passing game.

“Also, of course, the extra 36 hours or whatever we've been spending in a hotel ready to play the game, it definitely didn't do us any favors. But having said that, I'm pleased with a point because I don't think we played well enough today to get the three points and I think a point here, away from home, when the group is decided next October, we might find that was an important point that we took here.”

Hodgson also went on to reveal that Rooney, who had captained England against San Marino on Friday, was substituted due to under-performing.

“He got the goal, which was good, but I don't think Wayne was having one of his better days,” the Three Lions boss added. “I think he was also tiring, it was a tiring pitch, so we had Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench.”